Atlanta | Gainesville | January – April 2015
Garden improvements unveiled Orchid Daze pops! Bruce Munro: LIGHT to dazzle Gainesville ready to grow
| Atlanta President’s Message The Garden has become one of our city’s most dynamic cultural institutions, with facilities, exhibits and programs that serve the entire community. The Garden is the green epicenter of our verdant city, connecting people through beauty, education, science, art, and creativity. It all comes together around something that truly sustains our world – plants. As we look to the future and prepare to take the Garden to its next level of growth, our vision is to inspire visitors with beautiful new gardens and displays, to engage the mind and senses through education, and to set a new level of excellence in all that we do. Our mission-driven efforts have a local, national and global impact, and we are committed to making even more significant contributions in the years to come. With this Clippings issue, we share our vision for the future and an update on our Nourish & Flourish Capital Campaign. Tres Fromme, the Garden’s Landscape Design & Planning Manager, provides a detailed account of the projects that will be completed over the next three years. They are beautiful, impactful and crucial to the Garden’s future and our ability to serve visitors at the highest level. Our $50 million campaign is well on its way to success with generous gifts from the Garden’s Board, Lifetime Trustees and closest friends. I am happy to report that we have raised more than $23 million toward the total goal and already have exceeded the endowment goal of $10 million. The campaign is aptly named as we nourish our existing facilities, the Fuqua Conservatory and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Children’s Garden, with much-needed renovations and flourish with new display gardens and facilities that will wow our guests. I am truly excited about this campaign; our commitment to great design assures that the new gardens and a new restaurant will be iconic for our community. The talent of our horticulturists assures that the plant collections and displays will be world class. And, finally, with our new partner, Linton Hopkins, the dining experience at the Atlanta Botanical Garden will be unparalleled.
Shaggy Dog is Here to Stay! The Garden has adopted the beloved Shaggy Dog from Imaginary Worlds, thanks to a group of devoted volunteers. Knowing the popular plant sculpture would depart after the holiday light show closed, the volunteers asked the Garden if the dog could stay instead of being shipped with the other sculptures back to Montreal where they’re made. Some even offered to launch a fundraising campaign for purchasing Shaggy Dog. “That was so touching and truly a wonderful offer,” Garden President & CEO Mary Pat Matheson said. After she inquired about the cost – typically $25,000 to $45,000 for an animal that size – sculpture maker International Mosaiculture of Montreal offered to donate the dog to the Garden in honor of the volunteers. “This is a remarkable donation, and the dog will be here long into the future as a monument to the incredible volunteers and the generosity of International Mosaiculture,” Matheson said. Shaggy Dog now joins the giant Earth Goddess as a permanent sculpture in a location to be determined.
Mary Pat Matheson, The Anna and Hays Mershon President & CEO
A highlight of the ongoing capital campaign has been a generous gift by lifetime trustee and longtime supporter Anne Cox Chambers. The Atlanta philanthropist has pledged $5 million to the endowment fund, one of the largest gifts in Garden history. “We are extremely grateful for Mrs. Chambers’ ongoing generosity and support for the Garden, its programs and for this gift which will help sustain the Garden’s bright future,” Garden President and CEO Mary Pat Matheson said.
Photo: Chris Kozarich
Endowment Nets $5 Million Gift
| Official News Publication for Members of the Atlanta Botanical Garden | Atlanta | Gainesville Vice President, Marketing: Sabina Carr | Editor: Danny Flanders | Designer: Chris Kozarich | Membership Manager: Claudia McDavid 2
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Atlanta |
Photos: Holly Sasnett
Three-year project grows the Garden’s vision with improved facilities and new gardens
The Gardens in Storza Woods The Kendeda Canopy Walk will lead to a series of unique gardens designed as an irresistible reason to discover the forest’s evolving and distinct seasonal character. Features will include sculptural stonewalled overlooks, a swooping wooden boardwalk, a gracious stone bridge, and a Water Mirror and Stairs reflecting flowering trees, shrubs and perennials.
Visitors to Midtown’s urban oasis will watch in amazement over the next three years as new gardens blossom, new facilities rise and old ones are expanded. The capital improvements, which began last year and continue through 2017, include new gardens in Storza Woods and along the eastern boundary overlooking Piedmont Park, a renovated Children’s Garden, a new full-service restaurant and additions to GardenHouse and the Training and Conservation Center. The projects, outlined in the 2013 Master Plan, are made possible by the ongoing $50 million capital campaign, Nourish & Flourish. “The plan is an organic continuation of the energy, creativity and success of the previous New Seasons capital campaign and positions the Garden to continue blossoming for years to come,” Garden President & CEO Mary Pat Matheson said of the projects.
Restaurant & Garden House Expansion The current café space is limiting, and the main administration building has reached capacity thanks to a decade’s growth in facilities, programs and operations. The new restaurant, Linton’s in the Garden, will make the Garden a destination for foodies as well as “planties.” A two-story addition to GardenHouse’s west façade will contain much-needed offices, meeting rooms and support space.
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| Atlanta
Children’s Garden Renovation Vibrantly engaging new exhibits and amenities will rejuvenate this much-beloved destination for families and children of all ages and abilities.
Photo: Heather Anne Thomas
Skyline Gardens New garden rooms feature a must-see sequence of horticultural displays in the area around the Aquatic Plant Pond facing Piedmont Park. The immersive Color Walk will lead from the Great Lawn to the new Robinson Skyline Overlook through innovative plantings
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celebrating the seasons. The relocated Cactus and Succulent Garden, a series of dramatic contemporary-style terraces, will showcase dry-environment plants. Fuqua Conservatory Renovation Significant upgrades to the 23-year-old conservatory were essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of the building and the biodiversity it nurtures. The nearly completed project includes repairing and replacing the interior and exterior exposed aggregate concrete, an overhaul of climate control systems for
the unique tropical environment and restroom renovations. Training & Conservation Center Additions to the Fuqua Orchid Center will expand spaces to better support programs and educational efforts. The new building will contain a reoriented visitor entry, meeting rooms, offices, classroom, event space and an interpretive gallery highlighting the internationally-known orchid collection. Tres Fromme, Landscape Design & Planning Manager
new place to dine The Garden and celebrated chef Linton Hopkins are partnering to serve visitors a unique plant-to-plate concept in dining. Hopkins’ Resurgens Hospitality Group, which includes Restaurant Eugene and Holeman and Finch Public House, assumed management of the Garden’s café in November. The new Café at Linton’s offers a signature menu based on natural meats and fresh, local produce, including many fruits, vegetables and herbs grown at the Garden. Later this year, the café will be replaced with a new full-service restaurant, Linton’s in the Garden, a two-story contemporary glass structure to be built next to Garden House. “We wanted to create a new model for Atlanta in which the dining experience would match the Garden’s beautiful displays and visitor experience,” Garden President & CEO Mary Pat Matheson said. Hopkins was the first chef to participate in the Garden’s chef cooking series when the Edible Garden opened in 2010, embracing the space’s concept of teaching visitors how to grow and prepare food picked fresh from the garden “The idea is to bring good, wholesome, locally sourced food to food service at the Garden,” said Hopkins, the 2012 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Southeast With a seating capacity of more than 200, the glassed-in restaurant and patio will offer sweeping vistas of the woodland garden, with a roof deck for enjoying commanding views of the Midtown skyline. It will offer both full-service and convenience options.
Atlanta |
new place to play!
Tracy McClendon, Vice President, Programs
Projected time line of openings • Gardens in Storza Woods Spring 2015 • Linton’s in the Garden restaurant Fall 2015 • GardenHouse expansion Winter 2016
• Children’s Garden renovation Summer 2016 • Skyline Gardens Spring 2017 • Conservation Center expansion Winter 2017
Photo: Holly Sasnett
One of the most exciting upcoming projects in the Garden’s master plan is a long-awaited renovation of the beloved Children’s Garden. After the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Children’s Garden opened in 1999, attendance and the family membership base immediately increased, as many new families in Atlanta discovered the Garden as a wonderful place to take children. Fifteen years later, the Children’s Garden is in need of far more attention than just annual repainting and refreshing. Before heading to the drawing table the Garden took into account visitor feedback, based on exit surveys and focus group discussions. One of the most popular spaces in the current Children’s Garden, especially in summer, is the Sunflower Fountain. The new design shifts the garden’s entrance so that visitors may choose whether to enter the “Splash” or avoid it. The re-envisioned garden also dramatically expands opportunities to engage children directly with plants. With more bedding space for edible plants, places for kids to hide amongst grasses and willows, and close-encounters with carnivorous plants, this will be a truly immersive garden experience. In addition, the new Children’s Garden will abound with opportunity for hands-on activity because the best learning for children is accomplished through play. During construction the Children’s Garden will be closed next winter, but parts will reopen by the spring.
Historic Trees in Storza Two grand specimens of native trees will be centerpieces of the new Gardens in Storza Woods opening this spring. New ADA-accessible paths and dramatic overlooks will allow visitors of all ages and abilities to closely view a City Champion tulip poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera, and one of the Garden’s most beautiful white oaks, Quercus alba. City Champion Trees is a program of Trees Atlanta and its Atlanta Arbor Day Partners. They determine City hampions by measuring the trunk circumference and the height and spread of the crown. The average mature height and spread of these species is 70 to 90 feet tall and 35 to 50 feet wide for tulip poplars and 50 to 80 feet tall and wide for white oaks. The Garden is home to many tulip poplars and white oaks, but the enormous size and beautiful structure of these mature specimens command special attention. Until construction began on the new gardens, these trees were accessible only by mulched pathways which can be difficult to walk when dry and hazardous when wet. The tulip poplar can be enjoyed from an overlook designed to allow visitors to linger in the forest’s dappled shade and enjoy the sight of one of Atlanta’s largest trees. The white oak will be framed by an open glade and water feature, creating a dramatic effect whether viewed from the Canopy Walk or from ground level. Dave Rife, Senior Horticulturist
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| Atlanta Photos courtesy the Artist Studio © Bruce Munro
Beacon
Water-Towers
Forest of Light
summer of LIGHT This May the Garden welcomes a stunning outdoor art exhibition, Bruce Munro: LIGHT in the Garden, featuring installations created from hundreds of miles of glowing optic fiber. The British artist, internationally acclaimed for his fascination with light as an artistic medium, will transform the Garden into an enchanting setting, May 2 – Oct. 3. Open Wednesday through Sunday evenings, LIGHT is a site-specific exhibition and the largest by the artist in the Southeast. “This show will be something unlike any other that Atlantans have experienced,” said Garden President & CEO Mary Pat Matheson. “At dusk, the Garden will become this magical yet natural landscape that visitors just have to see to believe.” The exhibition includes diverse installations, from massive displays to smaller sculptures, both throughout the gardens and inside the conservatories –
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some set to music. Equally diverse are the artist’s materials, from fiber optics to recyclables. The show’s largest and most spectacular installation, Forest of Light, features more than 30,000 flower-like stems of lights blanketing Storza Woods – a massive display that can be experienced both from the ground and from the Canopy Walk walk above. The display is an adaptation of Munro’s iconic Field of Light first exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2004 and the largest installation of its kind in the world to date. Another installation, Water -Towers, includes massive cylindrical sculptures made of thousands of lighted, water-filled one-liter recyclable bottles. Munro, whose first exhibition in this country was at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, in 2012, learned about design and lighting while living in Australia shortly after college. In 1992, he returned to southwest England and
Artist Bruce Munro to cast a unique glow set up a studio as an installation artist working in light. Since then, his small team of lighting designers has become well known for creating architectural lighting schemes for private residences, hotels, restaurants and other commercial spaces. “We have an enduring passion for light in all its forms and approach the creation of lighting plans for interiors and gardens as art in itself,” Munro said. “But our large-scale installations are our heart and soul, and best express what we love about light.” Matheson said visitors are encouraged to come at dusk to watch LIGHT as it comes to life during this ticketed special event, which can be experienced with delicious dinners at The Café at Linton’s, cash bars and special entertainment. Garden members receive half-price admission.
Photo: Mark Mandica
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Rare Frog on the World Stage The Garden’s Rabbs’ Fringe-limbed Tree Frog – the last amphibian of its kind known to exist in the world – made quite a splash in New York last fall when a giant image of it was projected 30 stories high on the UN building. The image, along with those of other critically imperiled species, was part of a campaign called Projecting Change designed to raise public awareness of the global extinction crisis. The event also promoted the upcoming documentary “Racing Extinction” by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Louie Psihoyos, who filmed the Rabbs’ frog and other endangered Panamanian frog species. The documentary will premier at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2015. The Rabbs’ frog (Ecnomiohyla rabborum) and other frog species live in the Garden’s state-of-the-art frogPOD. These are all species that were rescued in 2005 from a lethal fungal outbreak (chytrid) in central Panama that was killing amphibians. Garden staff, along with Zoo Atlanta and the Houston Zoo, went to El Valle de Antón, Panama, ahead of the fungal outbreak to rescue frogs before they became infected with chytrid. The frog population of that region has since been reduced by 85 percent because of the disease. Visit the frogpodblog.blogspot.com for more information. Mark Mandica, Amphibian Conservation Coordinator
Taking center stage at the annual Orchid Daze exhibition Feb. 7 – April 12 will be the Cattleya orchids. Colorful frothy Cattleya hybrids have been in cultivation for more than a century and have become associated in popular culture with extravagance and exaggerated allure. Appropriately, the bold, playful and highly fragrant Orchid Daze: Pop pairs this floral icon with references to iconic Pop Art images by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Keith Haring. This is the third in a trilogy of art-inspired Orchid Daze displays, the two previous events themed around impressionist and surrealist works. Along with being widely recognized, Cattleyas have a reputation for being difficult. In cultivation, Cattleyas enjoy bright light; they like an unobstructed south- or westfacing window, or a bright greenhouse. The plants should be allowed to become nearly dry between waterings, then drenched. They can be fertilized every two weeks with half-strength fertilizer. Repotting every two years also is important. A step-by-step photo guide to repotting is available at theorchidcolumn.com. For orchid enthusiasts suffering from unrequited Cattleya adoration, the Garden will offer the classes Orchids for Beginners I & II, Orchid Care Clinics and Orchid Markets (see the education insert and page 9). Becky Brinkman,Orchid Center Manager
Season Your Garden with Edible Flowers Edible flowers make a great addition to any plate. They can accent it with color and design, and add a pop of flavor in taste. Spring is the perfect time to explore culinary ventures with fresh flowers straight from the garden. If you don’t get around to harvesting your spring vegetables before they flower, don’t throw them out. Arugula, radishes, cilantro, and fennel flowers can all be enjoyed as a fresh addition to any dish. When eating broccoli, cauliflower or artichokes, it is the unopened flower bud that you’re enjoying. Some common spring garden weeds also have edible flowers, such as chickweed, dandelion, and wood sorrel. A walk through the Edible Garden in April will fill your eyes with the colorful flowers of tulips and violas. Viola flowers often are enjoyed pressed and candied, and used as a topping for a dessert. When eating flowers, it’s best to err on the side of caution, however. Make sure you can accurately identify what you are about to eat, that it was grown specifically for the purpose of edible flowers and that you do not have an allergy to it. Kristyn Stogner, Assistant Horticulturist
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Help the Pollinators! For years, scientists have been warning that bees are disappearing. The loss is important because every third bite of food is the result of a pollinator doing its job. Flowers become fruits and vegetables because they are visited by pollinators. Bees and other pollinators like moths, butterflies and birds pick up pollen from one flower and carry it to another. This affects plants that produce staples such as chocolate, coffee, and avocados. The good news is that everyone can create pollinator habitats that support healthy ecosystems. Here’s how: • Plant native species. Over thousands of years, pollinators have formed relationships with native plants, which provide nectar for bees, seeds for birds, and habitat for bees and butterflies. • Avoid pesticides. An ecologically balanced garden will support species, such as birds, that will eat bugs. • Provide a water source and shelter. During hot summers and cold winters, water can be scarce resource for birds and bees. Leave a dish of water on your patio or keep a birdbath filled.
The Conservation Research Department is restoring urban and wild habitats, working with schools and corporations to identify areas. The Garden also has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and the Conservation Fund among others to tackle this issue. Visit www.gapp.org for more information. Christine Bentley, Conservation Intern
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Atlanta Blooms bursts with ideas With more than 42,000 new bulbs planted last fall in every color of the rainbow, Atlanta Blooms promises to explode with spring color in a big way this March and April. Look for the ever-popular sweeping beds of tulips rising from blankets of pansies and companion plants. But also take a closer peek at some of the more unconventional methods of growing bulbs – ones that easily can be tried at home. Seasonal container gardens of bulbs lead the way from the Hardin Visitor Center to the Fuqua Conservatory. Often, early-blooming types are planted this way so that they usher in the later, longer-blooming varieties in the beds. Adding to the joy of the season and showcasing flower types that are better appreciated up close are both made easier by creating these easy-to-assemble containers. Fancy, fragrant and slightly shorter bulbs find their spotlight in higher container plantings rather than ones in the ground. In December, bulbs are potted in 6-inch pots – three daffodils or five tulips per pot. The pots are left in a service area until they are full of foliage in spring, then moved into the garden, filling decorative containers like magic. Other bulbs even “float” in the pond in front of the Fuqua Conservatory. Using prefabricated floating islands (available at most aquatics supplies stores), the staff squeezes in as many pre-potted bulbs as they can after the foliage has grown tall, then fills in around them with mulch or moss and keeps them watered. The bulbs stay light enough to float and provide pops of cheer in an otherwise sad, winter-dormant pond. Both of these planting methods make it easy to swap out pots in order to keep the blooms going for as long as potted bulbs are available. They also make for easy clean up when the season is done. Amanda Campbell Bennett, Display Gardens Manager
Photo: Amanda Campbell
• Host plants, bare soil, and sticks and branches can provide important habitat elements. Different types of bees like different types of homes; some prefer to live in the ground while others favor hives or debris piles. Provide birdhouses and bee boxes.
bloom outside the box
| Atlanta
Vanilla Sunday
Calhoun Lecture
Sunday, Feb. 22, 1 – 4 p.m. Enjoy the annual celebration of the vanilla orchid. Learn more about the process of turning vanilla beans into a key extract for desserts, and sample a mini vanilla ice cream sundae.
Wednesday, March 25, 7 p.m. As part of the Atlanta Science Festival, the Garden offers a free lecture about its Amphibian Conservation Program. Presenter Mark Mandica will explore why it is important to protect amphibians. No reservations required. Photo: Grant Baldwin
The Inspired Gardener Feb. 28, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Get ready for springtime and be inspired by this annual symposium and silent auction, presented in partnership with the Georgia Perennial Plant Association. For registration and details visit atlantabotanicalgarden.org.
Orchid Daze Saturday, Feb. 7 – Sunday, April 12 Enjoy thousands of beautiful orchids at Orchid Daze: Pop! This year, the annual exhibition showcases bold displays inspired by Pop artists Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Keith Haring.
Orchid Market Weekends Feb. 7 – 8, March 7 – 8, April 4– 5 Find a wide variety of orchids and potting supplies for sale. Shop for artwork and crafts by local artists.
Orchid Care Clinics Saturdays, Feb. 7, March 7, April 4 Bring in up to two orchids for expert advice; $5 repotting, materials available.
Valentine’s in the Garden
Camellia Show Saturday, Feb. 21, 1 - 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Presented by the North Georgia Camellia Society, the show features regional growers displaying their finest specimens in a juried competition.
March – April Explore hundreds of thousands of tulips, daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths, including 42,000 new additions.
Spring Break Family Fun
Friday – Sunday, March 13 – 15 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Browse hundreds of gorgeous orchid specimens that also are for sale.
Monday – Friday, April 6 – 10 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Need an exciting family activity for Spring Break? Enjoy the wonders of springtime with fun, seasonal crafts and activities in the Children’s Garden.
Alston Lecture
Herb Sale
Wednesday, March 18, 7 p.m. Eric Haskell, director of the Clark Humanities Museum at Claremont University Centre, explores “Tulipomania: Banking with Bulbs during the Golden Age of Dutch Culture” during a free lecture. No reservations required.
Saturday – Sunday, April 11 – 12 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Browse more than 300 varieties of herbs for sale by the Chattahoochee Unit of The Herb Society of America.
Atlanta Orchid Society Show
Photo: Chelsea Patricia
Saturday, Feb. 14, 7 – 11 p.m. Bring your sweetheart for a romantic evening in the Garden, where fragrant orchids, live entertainment, dancing and desserts set the mood. For tickets and details, visit atlantabotanicalgarden.org.
Atlanta Blooms!
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Photo: Chris Kozarich
Atlanta |
Garden Envy Tuesday, April 21, 7 p.m. Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at an annual auction rare plants and other garden treasures. Tickets will be available at atlantabotanicalgarden.org beginning in March.
Earth Day April 22, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Celebrate nature! From creating crafts to learning about conservation, there’s fun for everyone. Enjoy Storybook Time in and ladybug releases.
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| Gainesville Director’s Message
A New Place to Celebrate! In addition to beautiful new gardens, the Gainesville location offers a variety of options for private rentals. Say “I do” under a cathedral of trees with woodland blooms or host a party inside the striking event space overlooking a terrace pond. For information, contact events@atlantabotanicalgarden.org. Photo: Jason Getz
The plants are in the ground, programs are being planned, concerts are being organized, and staff and volunteers are being trained. All efforts are focused on the grand opening of Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville in May. As I await the opening, I pause to reflect on all the growth in Atlanta that I have been fortunate to be a part of – from my days as an intern when there was just a doublewide trailer and a few annuals to today’s incredible Midtown garden, which is the creation of an amazing staff and continued community, corporate and board support. The Gainesville garden offers the opportunity to expand our plant collections, reach new audiences and increase the size of our native plant conservation nursery. Since the greenhouse and nursery were built in 2004, we have been building significant woody plant collections for the Gainesville site. With more than 280 Magnolia cultivars, 80 Maple species and cultivars, 240 Hydrangea cultivars, and 80 Witchhazel varieties, we have an excellent foundation on which to build the new garden. After all, as we like to say, our plant collections are our Monets! Two of our collections, Magnolia and Maple, are part of national multi-institutional collections recognized by the North American Plant Collections Consortium of the American Public Gardens Association. These plants have been masterfully worked into the garden’s design by Tres Fromme, our Landscape Planning & Design Manager. Yet, public gardens are more than just plants – they are about connecting people with them through engaging programming, dynamic exhibitions, and special events. And we can’t wait to share Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville – and all it has to offer – with our members and visitors from north Georgia and beyond! Mildred Pinnell Fockele, Vice President, Horticulture, Gainesville Director
rare plant nursery Photo: Ethan Guthrie
Silene regia
A haven for endangered native species Nestled in a corner out of public view is a unique nursery devoted to the preservation of some of the most threatened and endangered plants in the Southeast. It safeguards species that have been an active part of the Garden’s conservation program for the past 25 years. Pitcher plants are growing in raised bogs constructed to recreate the water 10
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and soil conditions that natural habitats would provide. Some populations represented no longer exist in the wild. The world’s largest collection of the critically endangered native conifer, Torreya taxifolia, is grown here, representing individuals from across their restricted range. These plants produce seed valuable for conservation research
and safeguarding while the natural populations in Georgia and Florida continue to decline. In this small facility, more than a dozen habitats are represented, with endangered plants hailing from such diverse conditions as mountain bogs in northeast Georgia, dry prairies in northwest Georgia, threatened alkaline waterways, granite outcrop ephemeral pools, ravines and bluffs in Florida, rare wetlands from across Georgia and the Southeast and many more. These plants represent decades of collaborative projects with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Forest Service, Georgia Natural Heritage Program, Florida State Parks, Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance, The State Botanic Garden of Georgia, dedicated private landowners, and others. The plants are used not only to help safeguard, build, and enhance populations from threatened habitats but also continue to provide valuable material to students and researchers throughout the region. Michael Wenzel, Plant Recorder
Gainesville Atlanta |
Photos: Ethan Guthrie
• Weekly and semi-weekly offerings will include storybook times, music and movement classes, and train-themed events around the Garden railroad. • Monthly offerings will feature musical performances in the Ivester Amphitheater. • Scout programs and special drop-in family programs on gardening, pollinators, carnivorous plants, and more will also be on the menu.
Rhododendron prunifolium
Gainesville garden features plants grown on-site from seed
• Seasonal festivals, guided tours, and weekend “Discovery” stations to learn more about how to garden and even pot up a plant to take home. Acer pensylvanicum
• Evening and weekend classes on topics like container gardening and woody plant propagation will expand horizons for gardeners in the community. • Special event evenings for a stroll in the moonlight while sipping cocktails and enjoying the new gardens. Photo: Jason Getz
Many don’t think about growing plants, especially trees, from seed, but that’s something the staff does every day at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville’s nursery. Though many annuals and perennials are cultivated this way, the nursery’s main focus is trees and shrubs to add to the woody plant collections in Gainesville as well as Atlanta. The seeds are acquired in several ways. Some staff are fortunate to be able to collect the seed directly from their native habitat around the Southeast each year. The Garden also sponsors a group of plant explorers who travel to parts of Asia every year and bring back seed for the staff to grow. Finally, horticulturists are involved in many seed exchanges with various national and international botanical gardens. All these different avenues lend access to a wide variety of plant species. When it opens this spring, the Gainesville Garden will feature many plants that have been nurtured from seed in the greenhouse. One is the native Moosewood, or Acer pensylvanicum. It’s among a group of maples called snakebark or striped maples, known for their green and white striped bark. Most of these are native to Asia, with A. pensylvanicum being the only one native to North America. North Georgia is the southernmost range where these trees grow, and the Gainesville Garden’s trees were cultivated from seed collected in Rabun County. Others can be found in the Atlanta location’s Southern Seasons Garden. Along with many maple species, the Gainesville Garden will include a wide variety of native azaleas. Among them is the rare plumleaf azalea, Rhododendron prunifolium. This shrub is the latest blooming of all native azaleas, flowering well into July with brightly colored blossoms ranging from red to orange to yellow. The plumleaf has a very small native growing range including south of Columbus in Providence Canyon State Park. Five years ago, staff collected seed from some of these plants, and now they have matured into beautiful specimens for planting both in Gainesville and Atlanta.
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The new Gainesville Garden will offer exciting entertainment and educational opportunities for visitors of all ages. With lush colorful gardens, acres of walking trails, a garden railroad display and an ample amphitheater, the site holds much to discover – and endless possibilities for activities.
Ethan Guthrie, Horticulture Manager
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Atlanta Botanical Garden | Atlanta 1345 Piedmont Avenue, NE Atlanta, GA 30309
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Address Service Requested
Member Appreciation Month
Member Spring Evening
February All current members as of Feb. 28 are entered in a prize drawing. Visit atlantabotanicalgarden.org and click “Membership” for details and a list of winners from previous drawings.
Thursday, March 26, 5 – 9 p.m. Atlanta Location Enjoy live music, a marketplace and kids’ activities while exploring hundreds of thousands of bulbs at Atlanta Blooms.
Orchid Soirée Thursday, Feb. 12, 6:30 – 9 p.m. Atlanta Location Members of Orchid Circle, Magnolia Circle, Arbor Circle and Director’s Club are invited to explore Orchid Daze during an elegant cocktail reception.
planthotline When is the best time and where is the best place to put up a bluebird house? A bluebird box should be up by February in the South, though birds will roost in one over the winter if it is available. Place the box at the edge of a field or clearing, mounted on a pole about five feet off the ground facing away from prevailing winds. Use a baffle under it to deter predators. If putting up more than one, Eastern bluebirds prefer 125 to 150 yards between the boxes. What are planting alternatives to camellias, crape myrtles and daphne? Stewartia, a good alternative to Camellia japonica, is a small deciduous tree or large shrub with white summer flowers, red autumn leaves and white bark. Chinese indigo is a medium-size deciduous shrub with pink flowers
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Dinner in the Garden Wednesday, April 1, 6:30 – 8 p.m. Atlanta Location Contributing level and above members are invited to a quarterly behind-thescenes presentation by Garden staff. In 2015, the theme will be farm-to-table and educational initiatives.
404-888-GROw planthotline@atlantabotanicalgarden.org
Volunteer of the Year
commonground
membersonly
Questions? Email membership@ atlantabotanicalgarden.org or call 404-591-1539 for assistance.
Bob Holmes is always willing to assist, whether it’s pulling weeds, outplanting seedlings, plotting plant locations or leading tours. He has donated more than 200 hours a year for the past three years. Holmes was the March 2013 Volunteer of the Month and is a Root of the Garden for top volunteer hours. “We are pleased to have such a renaissance man, knowledgeable in so many areas and helping in nearly every aspect of the volunteer program, as our 2014 Volunteer of the Year,” Garden President & CEO Mary Pat Matheson said in presenting the award at last fall’s annual Volunteer Luncheon.
Children’s Tour Docent Training Carolina allspice
from spring until frost and an excellent alternative to crape myrtle. For daphne, consider Carolina allspice and summersweet with their fragrant summer flowers or sweet olive, a large deciduous shrub grown for fragrant fall to winter flowers and yearround foliage. Hotline Tip: Cut back ornamental grasses to 6 to 12 inches in March before new spring growth appears.
Wednesdays, Jan. 14 – Feb. 25 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Discovery Volunteer Training Saturday, Jan. 31, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Outdoor Kitchen Training Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. WANT TO HELP? Visit the “Support” section of atlantabotanicalgarden.org to view more volunteer opportunities. Contact volunteer manager Josh Todd at jtodd@atlantabotanicalgarden.org or 404-591-1548 to get started.